Identity Theft

The FBI is investigating the hacking of one of the nation’s largest health insurers. Anthem runs Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in more than a dozen states. The company discovered last week that hackers accessed as many as 80 million customer records.

A 34-year-old Plymouth man is accused of leading a check fraud ring involving four other people and thousands of dollars in fake checks being passed at Twin Cities Target stores, according to charges filed in Dakota County Court.

A federal judge has ruled that customers suing Target for last year’s data breach will be able to move forward with their claims. Target also reportedly faces lawsuits from banks hit by the data breach.

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is warning citizens about phone scams. Residents have reported being called by people who claim arrest warrants are out for them due to unpaid court fees, fines or missed jury duty. The sheriff’s office says the calls have led to unauthorized credit card use, identity theft and other forms of fraud.

A Minnesota man who admitted to stealing identification information from soldiers in his former Army unit at North Carolina’s Fort Bragg, then selling it so false identities could be created for militia members, was sentenced Friday to two years in prison.

A Minneapolis man was swindled out of his life savings when he tried to help a friend in need. Investigators say Thomas Syzdek was going through a divorce and asked his friend, William Meredig, if he could stay with him.

Edina-based Dairy Queen is the latest company hit by cyber criminals, as an undisclosed number of stores have reportedly been hit by a data breach. Information including customers’ credit and debit card data may have been lifted.

Two inmates at a Minnesota prison are accused of filing $400,000 in false tax claims to the Internal Revenue Service, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Tony Terrell Robinson, 30, and Tanka James Tetzlaff, 39, were each charged Tuesday with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and 10 counts each of making false claims.

A former assisted living facility worker is accused of stealing the identity of a 92-year-old woman to buy jewelry online. According to the criminal complaint, the son of the woman noticed unusual charges from a jewelry store on her credit card statement.

The owner of a massage and skin care business in Lino Lakes, Minn. was charged Friday for allegedly making fraudulent charges on her customer’s accounts. Stephanie Rae Lasch, owner of Stone Water Massage & Skin Care, was charged with felony identity theft.

Minnesota’s new chief federal prosecutor says he’s launching initiatives to combat human trafficking, heroin, fraud, violent crime and identity theft. It’s an ambitious agenda for U.S. Attorney Andy Luger, who was sworn in Feb. 14. He filled a post last held by B. Todd Jones, who juggled dual roles for two years as both U.S. attorney in Minneapolis and acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Washington until the Senate finally confirmed him as director last July.

A human services worker, fired for identity theft, has been charged with burglary and theft after returning to her former workplace, stealing office equipment and accessing the private information of almost 800 daycare providers, according to the Anoka County Attorney’s office. On the evening of July 9, 2013, 53-year-old Jan Michelle Gray gained access to the fourth floor of the Anoka County Human Services Building in Blaine by telling a custodian that she forgot her badge, according to a criminal complaint.

Target Corp. has acknowledged its security software picked up on suspicious activity after a massive cyberattack was launched, but it decided not to take immediate action. The acknowledgement comes after Bloomberg Newsweek reported Thursday that Target’s security team in Bangalore received security alerts on Nov. 30 that indicated malicious software had appeared in its network.

A 24-year-old woman was convicted Thursday of stealing more than $150,000 from a vulnerable family member, according to the Washington County Attorney’s office. Elaina Lorene Casello was convicted on multiple counts of felony theft and identity theft after stealing money from various bank accounts of an elderly relative. The theft occurred from Feb. 2011 till Dec. 2012, with Casello using the stolen funds to buy several items, in addition to paying her own bills.

A data breach at hometown retailing giant Target is prompting a look at Minnesota data protection laws. The theft late last year of financial and personal data from millions of customers is a driving force behind a bill that a Minnesota House commerce committee was discussing Tuesday.

Target now faces its first Minnesota lawsuit following the massive data breach that’s believed to have compromised up to 110 million customers’ information. Five rural banks in southern Minnesota have reportedly joined together to file a lawsuit against the retailer.

The massive Target data breach is having a large impact on not just the company’s customers, but is also costing Minnesota’s credit unions hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Minnesota Credit Union Network says $750,000 has been lost.

The hackers who stole millions of credit and debit card numbers from Target may have used a Pittsburgh-area heating and refrigeration business as the back door to get in. Fazio Mechanical Services Inc., a contractor that does business with Target, issued a statement Thursday saying it was the victim of a “sophisticated cyberattack operation,” just like Target.

A western Pennsylvania credit union is suing Target Corp. for the cost of reissuing debit cards to about 75 customers whose account information was compromised by computer hackers who stole 40 million credit and debit card numbers from the retailer’s customers.

About 5 million credit and debit cards out of the approximately 40 million whose information was stolen in a massive Target data breach have been used to make fraudulent purchases. The Wall Street Journal says that translates to about 10 to 15 percent of the accounts that were compromised late last year.

Attorney General Eric Holder says the Justice Department is committed to tracking down the thieves who stole information from millions of customers of Target Corp. Minneapolis-based Target says it is working with the Secret Service and the Justice Department.

American shoppers say they are very concerned about the safety of their personal information following a massive security breach at Target, but many aren’t taking steps to ensure their data is more secure, says a new Associated Press-GfK Poll.